


Blood On My Name

by minttwilight



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-11-28 08:20:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11413941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minttwilight/pseuds/minttwilight
Summary: Nora Bellich never asked for Boston to get nuked. She never asked to be cryogenically frozen. She never asked for her husband to be shot and for her son to be kidnapped. She never asked to be let loose into a deadly post-apocalyptic wasteland 210 years after the bombs dropped, all on her own.But she sure as hell wasn't going to give up without a fight.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> on a fallout4 kick again, wanted to write a fic, so here we are.
> 
> r&r, enjoy!

Nora strode up to the bar in The Third Rail, sniper slung across her back, dogmeat at her side. She leaned against the counter, flagging down Charlie.

“What’ll it be?” he asked, wiping down a glass.

“A bottle of bourbon and a neat whiskey.” She took a seat as the bottle was set down and some whiskey was poured into a  glass.

She slipped the bottle of bourbon into the messenger bag resting against her hip and patted Dogmeat on the head as she took a sip of her whiskey. She pulled out a handful of caps and slid them onto the bar, resting her forearms on the surface of it as she took another sip.

“Now that you’re all liquored up, I’ve got a proposition for ya,” Charlie said, wiping down another glass before setting it down.

She looked at him over the rim of her glass. “I’m listening.”

His voice was lower when he next spoke, “I need a dirty girl to do some dirty, dirty work. Blood on the pavement. Bodies in the ground. That kind of thing. Interested?”

She set the glass on the counter, tracing the rim with her finger. She lifted her other hand, moving it to hold her jaw in her palm. “Maybe. What’re the details?”

“I’ve got a certain anonymous client. Payin’ top-dollar to get the work done. Three locations, everyone inside, no witnesses.”

“What’s the catch?”

“All in town, in the old warehouses, so I can’t use my regulars--too noticeable. But that’s where you come in.”

Nora smirked, “I’d say I’m a regular. How many times have I been here the last few weeks?”

By the sigh Charlie gave, she could’ve sworn he would’ve rolled his eyes if he had any. “You know what I mean. Job’s 200 caps, payment after it’s done. And don’t worry, I’ll know when it is.”

She lifted the glass, moving to take another sip as she spoke. “You know how I work, Charlie. I don’t take jobs unless I know who’s paying the bills.”

“Alright, ‘gov. Not like it’s a big secret who I represent, anyways. Mayor Hancock’s frontin’ the caps. Internal political struggle. You know how it is.”

“That I do.”

“It’s nothing to be concerned about. Just clear out the warehouses and get paid. Simple.”

“Mm, that’s not what I’ve got reservations about, Charlie.” Her smirk grew as she took another sip of her whiskey. “Three locations? That’s a lot of time... and a  _ lot _ of bullets.”

“Well, I guess we can sweeten the pot a bit. 250.”

She raised a brow. “Barely covers the risks.”

“Fine, 300.”

She set the glass down, leaning towards Charlie. “More. Money.”

“Givin’ me a kick right in the Alberts,” he muttered, sighing before he continued, “We’ll make it 400. That’s as high as I’m going.”

“Good.” She downed the rest of the whiskey and pushed it towards Charlie as she stood up. “I’ll get it done, Charlie, no worries.”

“I know you will. Now go out there and bust some heads.”

“Give me a few days. All three in one night is a bigger risk than I’m willing to take, and I need to stock up.”

Nora left the bar, heading up the stairs with Dogmeat padding up behind her. She headed for Hotel Rexford, pulling out a handful of caps as she walked into the hotel. She strode up to the counter, counting out the caps as Clair turned from the wall to face her.

“Ah, Nora. How long will you be here?”

“Three or four days. Have some work to do, and I gotta restock and rest.” Once Nora counted out thirty caps, she leaned against the counter, watching as Clair slipped them into the register. “I’ll give you another ten if I end up needing an extra day.” 

“Alright; it’s the same room as usual. Top floor, last on the right.”

Nora started walking away, briefing looking back and saying “Thanks.”

* * *

 

Three days later, she had cleared out all three warehouses, with only three bullet wounds and one stab wound. But, after three stimpacks, all she had was a slight limp in her left leg and minor bruises on her right arm.

She sat up from her bed in the hotel room, wincing as she stretched. 

She smiled as Dogmeat woke up, his tail starting to wag as she walked over to her bag on the couch and got dressed.

“You’re gonna have to stay here for the day, boy,” she said, slipping her socks over her pants. “I’ll leave you water and food, don’t worry.”

He whined as she put her boots and jacket on, and she bent down to pet his head before tying her hair into a bun. “I’ll be back in an hour or so, boy. I just need you to stay here so you can watch my gear, alright?”

She smiled as he barked in agreement, rolling the sleeves of her jacket up and putting her Pip-Boy on. She slipped her bag over her head so the strap rested against her neck, and she pulled a cigarette from her pack on the nightstand, sticking it into the pocket of her jacket.

She bent down and hugged him, petting his back before standing up. “I’ll be back soon, Dogmeat. Don’t worry.”

She walked out of her room, hand clenched around her lighter. She walked out of Hotel Rexford and sauntered down to the bar at The Third Rail. She took the only open seat, thinking of how a full bar at nine in the morning would have surprised her before the bombs fell. She waved down Charlie, pulling out her cigarette and lighting it as he whirred towards her.

“I’ve heard some exterminator cleared out the rats in the old warehouses,” he said, pouring her a glass of neat whiskey, “Wouldn’t know anything about that, would ya?”

She raised the glass towards him and took a sip. “Just doin’ my job.”

He pulled up a bag of caps, “Always liked doin’ business with a professional.”

She hummed in agreement, pulling a few caps out of the bag to pay for her drink before putting it in her messenger bag. “Is MacCready still here?”

“Yeah, he is.” Charlie put the caps in the register, muttering, “Hasn’t settled his damn tab yet.”

Nora chuckled as she picked up her drink and took a drag of her cigarette. “Thanks, Charlie.”

She glanced at the mannequins at the threshold, pausing as she heard a deep voice.

“Can’t say I’m surprised to find you in a dump like this, MacCready.”

She stepped over the threshold quietly, careful not to make a sound as she leaned against the corner nearest the door.

“I was wondering how long it would take for our bloodhounds to track me down, Winlock.” She smiled at the sass in his voice as he took another drag of his cigarette, leaning back in the chair. “It’s been almost three months, don’t tell me you’re getting rusty. Should we take this outside?”

Nora took a sip of her whiskey as Winlock spoke. “It ain’t like that. I’m just here to deliver a message.”

MacCready stood up, taking notice of Nora in the corner. He quickly glanced back at the two men in front of him. “In case you forgot, I left the Gunners for good.”

“Yeah, I heard. But you’re still taking jobs in the Commonwealth. That isn’t going to work for us.”

“I don’t take orders from you.” MacCready tried to gesture his head towards Nora as he spoke, “So why don’t you take your girlfriend and walk out of here while you still can.”

The other man looked to Winlock, “Aw come on, don’t tell me we have to put up with this shit!”

Winlock stepped closer to MacCready, saying something in a low tone that she could barely make out, but she could see the way the merc tried to keep his expression stoic. 

The two men walked out a few minutes later, not saying anything as they walked past her. She took another drag of her cigarette and flicked it, staying where she was as MacCready sat back down and leaned back in his chair.

He looked over to her as she cross her legs, still leaning back against the corner. He took his hat off for a moment and carded his fingers through his hair. “Listen, lady, if you’re here to preach to me about Atom or if you’re looking for a friend, you’ve come to the wrong place.”

She pushed herself off the wall, walking over to the table next to him. She put her cigarette out on the ashtray, but she didn’t walk away after, deciding to stay right next to the chair. “And if I need a hired gun?”

“The maybe we can talk.”

“Good.” She smirked. “Hotel Rexford. Top floor, last room on the right. Seven o’clock tonight, knock on the door two times. We’ll discuss terms and payment.”She started walking away, only making it to the threshold before he stopped her. 

He raised an eyebrow. “And if I don’t show up?”

She finished off her whiskey, eyeing him over the rim of the glass as she rested it against her lip. She walked towards him until she was only a few feet away. “You’ll be losing out on a client. And I don’t think you can afford that, considering those two guys you were talking to.”

Before he could respond, she took a few more steps, standing at his feet before leaning over to gently place the glass next to the ashtray and walking out.


	2. Chapter 2

Nora lined up her 10mm rounds on the coffee table, cigarette between her middle and index fingers, a glass of bourbon next to the ashtray. She took a drag of her cigarette as she counted each bullet, putting them into makeshift magazines she made as she went. She pulled out the bag of .38 rounds, and glanced at the clock on her Pip-Boy, now in the corner of the coffee table, facing her. It was almost seven. MacCready would be there any second. 

She took a sip of her bourbon, glancing at the door as footsteps sounded just outside it. She put the glass down, leaving the rounds on the table as someone knocked on the door twice, just as the clock turned to seven.

She took a drag of her cigarette and laid it against the ashtray, the smoldering end raised up, and walked over to the door. She opened it to see MacCready, shifting on his feet with a scowl on his face. She stepped backwards and opened the door wider, gesturing for him to come inside. Dogmeat perked his head up from where he laid down on the floor at the foot of the bed, but fell back asleep almost immediately.

He moved to stand in the center of the room, and she took her place on the couch, picking up the cigarette again and flicking it before taking a drag. She motioned for him to sit on the bed, and he did so, leaning his elbows on his thighs. She mirrored him as she put the cigarette out.

“So,” he said, breaking the silence under her stare, “We gonna talk about my payment or what?”

She leaned back, moving her arm onto the back of the couch and cocking her head to the side to rest it on her knuckles. “We are. But first, terms.”

He nodded, clearly just wanting to get his money. She smirked, deciding to make this as long as she could. “Alright. What are the terms?”

“I’m still gonna be taking jobs, and you’ll get a third of the pay, if you’re with me. Which, you will be, since I prefer doing things with a partner.”

“50/50.”

“You’ll get forty percent. As high as I’m going.”

“Fine. What else?”

She grabbed her glass of bourbon, gesturing it towards him. “Want any? It’s bourbon.”

He looked at her, exasperated, and sighed. “Fine, yeah, I’ll have some.”

She stood up, putting her glass down, and walked over to the dresser, grabbing another glass and the bottle from the top. She spoke again as she poured his glass, “You’ll follow me wherever I go. I’ve heard you’re good with a sniper, so I’ll have you pick out enemies from a distance when it can be helped. Most of the time, though, we’ll be in close-quarters combat.”

She walked over to him, eyes scanning his face for changes in body language as she held the glass. She stopped in front of him, her shins barely brushing against his knees. She spoke more softly, mockery laced in her tone, “But I’m sure you’ll manage.”

He took the glass as she held it out to him, not breaking eye contact as he raised an eyebrow. He took a sip as she walked over to the coffee table, standing in front of it when she turned back to him. “Is that all?”

“Pretty much. I just wanna know who those guys were this morning. In The Third Rail.”

He groaned, rubbing a hand down the side of his face as he leaned forward to rest his forearms on his legs. “Couple of morons looking to climb the ladder of success by stepping on everyone else on the way up. You shouldn’t be surprised, though. That’s how it goes when you run with the Gunners.”

Nora simply nodded, circling her wrist to gently twirl the glass in her hand. He squinted his eyes and continued, “And what about you? How do I know I won’t end up with a bullet in my back?”

She kept a straight face as she stared at him. “If you were so worried about that, why would you come here to meet me?”

“Like you said, potential client.” He glanced at the door before looking at her again. “Plus, if you shot me in here, you’d have to worry about a lot more than a dead mercenary.”

She cocked her head to the side a bit, “There are more  quiet ways to kill someone, MacCready.”

He squinted his eyes more and sat up. “That’s true.”

She gave him a small smile, “Plus, isn’t that part of the risk? Isn’t that what makes this  fun ?”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘fun’, but I can’t argue with that.” He took another sip, relaxing slightly. “So, when do we head out?”

Nora sighed, puckering her lips as she tapped her finger against the glass. “Well, I’ve got a trail from Diamond City to follow, and I want to get to my…  _ destination _ as soon as possible..”

“Diamond City? Why were you here, then?”

“Had some work in the area I needed to do, and I wanted to get my dog. I had Nick Valentine with me but I figured Dogmeat was a good idea. He’s good at sniffing out enemies and stuff I might need. He was at the Boston Airport, so I stopped here on my to Diamond City from there.” She took a sip of her drink. “I had to restock, and Charlie had some work for me in town. So I got it done, restocked, and here we are.”

“Why wouldn’t you just keep Nick with you?”

“He has an agency to run. Plus, your reputation precedes you, MacCready. I know you know how to handle yourself, even if you are pretty damn young. Nick’s good with a pistol, not so much with a sniper.”

MacCready sighed. “Alright.”

“So, we gonna discuss price?”

“Yeah. 250 caps, up front. No room for bargaining.”

“Even though I offered you forty percent of the money I make from doing jobs? Besides, everything’s negotiable. What about 200?”

“You drive a hard bargain, but you do have a point.”

Nora smiled, “We have a deal then.”

“So, when do we leave?”

“Tomorrow morning, meet me at the gates at nine. I’d prefer to leave now but it’s too risky.”

He finished his bourbon and stood up, setting the glass down on the coffee table. “I’ll see you at nine, then.”

Nora slid her bag from the opposite side of the couch, and opened the front pocket. She counted 200 caps, giving him ten at a time. “I’ll see you in the morning,” she said softly, watching his hand as he pocketed the last handful of caps.

“See ya in the morning,” he said, walking towards the door. He opened the door a little, hand on the knob as he looked at her. He gave a small lopsided grin. “Boss.”

She finished her bourbon as he closed the door, putting the glass on the table. She picked up the bullets still lined along the table, counting them out as she put them into a small pocket inside the bag.

She walked over to the bed and laid down, sighing as she closed her eyes.

“I’m gonna find you, Shaun,” she whispered. She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut to keep her tears at bay. “Even if I have to kill everyone in this goddamn wasteland. I’ll find you.”

* * *

The alarm clock went off at eight the next morning. Nora sat up in the bed groggily, stretching her arms, and stood up slowly.

She tied her hair into a ponytail and grabbed a change of clothes from her bag. She threw on some jeans, rolling the cuffs up so they sat an inch above her ankles, and secured a bandolier around her waist. She put on her hip and thigh holsters, placing her 10mm pistol in its sheath, and secured the leather straps on her thighs. She grabbed her hunting knife and slid it into one of the thigh holsters, her pipe pistol in the other. 

She pulled off her t-shirt, changing into a black tank top. She put on a tan button up, leaving it open and rolling the sleeves up to just above her elbows. She clasped the Pip-Boy around her wrist and checked the time. She still had a half-hour before she had to meet MacCready.

Black combat boots, black fingerless gloves, bandana loosely tied around her neck. She felt less like a mercenary and more like a hiker in one of those pre-War ads for outdoor gear shops.

She slung her sniper rifle across her back and put the bottle of bourbon into her bag, bringing the strap over her head to rest on her shoulder. “Come on, boy, let’s go get some breakfast before we head out.”

She grabbed her denim jacket off the arm of the couch and stuffed it into her bag. She headed out of her room, Dogmeat at her side. She was halfway down the first flight of stairs when someone stopped her. 

She recognized the pale yellow trench coat and hat. She looked at the man who stopped her, a few steps lower than her, and scrunched her eyebrows, surprised.

“What? No, it can’t… it… It’s  _ you _ ! From Sanctuary Hills, right?!”

Nora’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. You’re from Vault-Tec—”

“I  _ am _ Vault-Tec! 20 years of loyal service, and now look at me. I wasn’t on the list. But you… look at you! 200 years and you’re still perfect! How? How’s that possible?”

Nora shifted her feet, blinking hard and wincing as the memories of the murder and kidnapping of that one night replayed in her head. “We were… We were cryogenically frozen. The Vault had these… pods that had us frozen in place. I only thawed out recently. About a month ago.”

The rep jumped back a little, surprised. “What? Vault-Tec never told me that. Unbelieveable!”

Nora softened, eyes scanning the Ghoul’s face. “You really didn’t know?”

“No--I had to get to the future the hard way. Living through the filth, the decay, the bloodshed… Look at me! I’m a Ghoul! A freak!”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t know any of this would happen.”

“Oh, God… I’ve been so alone, I uh… No Commonwealth settlement wants a pre-War Ghoul with 200 years of Vault-tec sales experience!”

Nora gave him a small smile. “I can think of one. Go down to Sanctuary Hills and say the General sent you. You’ll be safe there.”

He seemed genuinely surprised by her offer, and took one of her hands in both of his, thanking her profusely before leaving. She stood there for a moment, watching as he went up the stairs before heading down and leaving the hotel.

She walked down to Daisy’s Discounts, surprised to see MacCready sitting at one of the benches already. Dogmeat padded up to the merc as Nora walked into Daisy’s store. She turned as Daisy left to grab some dog food to see the dog wagging his tail as MacCready pet him. 

She didn’t hear Daisy return, and was caught off guard when the woman spoke. “Take care of him for me, will ya? He’s a good guy once you get to know him.”

Nora nodded, handing over some caps before walking over to MacCready. He looked up at her as she approached, and looked her up and down. Her eyes somehow held a glimmer of hope, he noticed. She carried herself with a confidence most Wastelanders didn’t have. 

She didn’t scream “ _ naive vault dweller” _ like that one guy had ten years ago when he was the mayor of Little Lamplight. He’d heard the rumors about this one, that a widowed parent was on the hunt to find the person that killed her husband and kidnapped her baby. He knew she was out for vengeance. He knew she was dangerous. Part of him wondered if she handled dropping bodies as well as she seemed to.

“Ready to head out, MacCready?”

Every other part of him knew she didn’t, that she couldn’t, no matter how hard she tried to fake it.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m ready.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up: reunions


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all,,,,, im sorry this is so late
> 
> im taking two ap classes right now and have been working the past few weeks, and ive barely had time to actually get shit done. i know they arent excuses bc this chapter's been done for almost a month, but i also had some minor issues w my beta--he wasnt reading, but i beta'd this chap myself and so it's going up.
> 
> again, really sorry, but i hope you enjoy it--its 13 pages in google docs, so,.

_Oh Lazarus,_

_How did your debts get paid?_

_Oh, Lazarus,_

_Were you so afraid?_

blood on my name / brothers bright

 

* * *

 

“So, I know I’m not really supposed to ask questions, but I have a lot.” MacCready looked to Nora, following her line of sight to the old baseball stadium they were steadily approaching.

“I’ll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.” She kept an even tone, a surprise to even herself, moving to holster her pistols as they walked towards the gates. “Maybe not just any question. I’ll answer what needs to be answered.”

MacCready nodded. “That’s fair.” He still held his rifle, not quite ready to strap it yet. “First, what trail are you following?”

They started walking up the stairs, and a guard gave MacCready a dirty look, telling the man to strap his rifle. “A man named Kellogg. He has a house here in Diamond City. I may or may not have broken into it, but that’s not important. I have reason to believe he’s the one that kidnapped my baby and murdered my husband.”

“Shi--Crap, did you say _Kellogg_?” he grabbed her arm as he stopped, pulling her to face him. “You didn’t think to tell me about this when we were working out our terms?”

“I… No, I didn’t. I didn’t want to risk Nick getting hurt and—”

“I’m not…” he sighed. “I’m not gonna leave, but damn lady, I think you signed our death warrants.” He let go of her arm, watching as her expression softened for a split second.

She let out a shaky breath, voice soft but intimidating. “I will do whatever it takes to find my son. I could murder everyone in this fucking place if it meant I would find him.”

MacCready nodded, pursing his lips. If he was in the same position, he would do the exact same thing. He watched as she turned from him and walked into Diamond City, and followed her.

* * *

 

“The fuck is _that_?” Nora muttered, watching as some mutated bear started hurtling towards the three of them. “Oh shit!”

She fired an entire magazine at it, screaming at MacCready to aim for the head as Dogmeat chomped on the leg of the beast. With it distracted by the dog, Nora took the time to quickly reload her gun.

She fired more rounds at it, watching as the thing clawed at Dogmeat. It fell before it could kill Dogmeat, and she scrambled over to the animal, stabbing a stimpack into his abdomen. “You’ll be alright, buddy.”

MacCready was sliding more rounds into his rifle, sweat dripping down his forehead. “That was a yao guai. I think it’s a mutated black bear. They’re worse here than the Capital Wasteland.”

“I was scared of bears before the War, but _Jesus_ , they’re so much more terrifying now than they used to be!” She brushed herself off as she caught her breath, looking to Dogmeat to make sure he was fine as she stood up. She turned to MacCready to see the merc giving her a weird look, hand frozen in the middle of putting another round in. She matched his expression. “What?”

“Before the War?”

“I… Yeah, before the War.”

“You’re bull--you’re lying.”

“I’m not.” She sighed, walking towards him until only a foot of space remained. She spoke quietly, “I’ll explain everything after. Once we kill Kellogg, I will explain everything.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “That needs explaining?”

“Yes.” She ran a hand down her face. “I would--I would tell you everything now, but I wouldn’t…”

He watched as she started tapping her foot anxiously.

“When Kellogg’s dead, and my baby boy is in my arms, I will tell you _everything_.”

She seemed to relax a bit, so he gestured for her to start walking as Dogmeat walked up to them. She pet his head before he wandered ahead, once again on Kellogg’s trail. She followed him, and MacCready strode up to walk beside her.

“You seem pretty confident that we’ll be able to kill Kellogg.” He looked at her to gauge her reaction, but her face remained expressionless as she stared ahead, eyes squinting slightly in the sunlight. He found himself studying her face, noticing a faint scar along her jawline and a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheekbones. He looked away, realizing he was staring and he was definitely _not supposed to do that_.

“Is there any other option?”

They didn’t look at each other as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. She was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince him, he realized.

He pursed his lips, training his eyes on Dogmeat.

 _No_ , he thought, _there really isn’t._

“Is this the place boy? Is he in here?” Nora’s voice was full of hope as Dogmeat barked at the blocked door. MacCready chuckled.

“Well, well, your dog must be part bloodhound. Why don’t we give him a break while you and I pay Kellogg a visit?” Nora looked at MacCready and nodded.

“Alright Dogmeat, head back to Sanctuary. Go to Preston, boy!” She watched as Dogmeat ran off. She looked back at MacCready. “Let’s find our way in, because this sure as hell won’t be it.”

* * *

 

“Well, we know Kellogg’s definitely here. Either dead or alive,” MacCready said, blasting the head off of the last synth in the area. “What are you gonna do if he’s dead?”

Nora huffed through her nose, reloading her 10mm. “I don’t know. I hope he’s alive so I can talk to him and figure out what the hell is going on.”

He nodded, watching as she strode to the terminal and hacked it, opening the security door. “We should have discussed this, but can we split loot?”

“Yeah. Not now, though. Once we’re safe and not at risk of being shot at.”

“Fair enough.”

She quickly dug through the small area behind the now unlocked door, grabbing ammo and some junk. She walked to the elevator. “Come on, let’s head down.”

“Why are there so many goddamn synths?” Nora yelled, shooting at one several times before it died. “God, I hate these things!”

“You aren’t the only one,” MacCready yelled back, popping a headshot on another synth, “Not to mention they’re freaky as hell!”

“Got that right,” she replied, wiping her brow as the last one fell. “Come on, let’s keep moving. He’s gotta be here somewhere.”

They headed down a flight of stairs, the intercom turning on as they reached the landing.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my old friend, the frozen TV dinner.” Nora recognized the voice, swearing under her breath. “Last time we met, you were cozying up to peas and apple cobbler.”

Nora took a step towards the door and caught MacCready’s eye, brushing off his confused expression. “He’s definitely alive.”

She noticed the alarm on the door and disarmed it, throwing the parts into her bag and opening the door.

“What kind of insult is ‘TV dinner’?”

Nora sighed as she opened the first aid kit and the ammo box behind the desk. “I didn’t think he was going to taunt me. If I knew he was going to I wouldn’t have brought you. I just hope he’ll shut the fuck up, because I’m not quite sure I’m ready to have you hear about everything from the man that did it. I want you to hear it from me.”

MacCready nodded, realizing she would simply evade his questions until they were safe. He moved in step just behind her as she started down the stairs. She quickly fired at the turret at the bottom of the stairs, staying back as it exploded, and opened the security door.

The intercom turned on again. “Sorry your house has been a wreck for two hundred years. But I don’t need a roommate. Leave.”

Nora scoffed. “It’s a great thing I never wanted to be your roommate then, isn’t it?”

She pushed the double doors open, ready for an attack, but was pleasantly surprised when she wasn’t immediately shot at. “This must be the command center.”

MacCready looked around. “What makes you say that?”

She walked over to the stairs, about to respond when Kellogg’s voice came on again.

“Hmph. Never expected you to come knocking at my door. Gave you 50/50 odds of making it to Diamond City. After that? Figured the Commonwealth would chew you up like jerky.”

“Jesus Christ,” she muttered under her breath. She raised her voice as she yelled, wanting Kellogg to hear her, “‘Yeah, let’s piss off a widowed mother! She totally doesn’t wanna pop a cap in my ass after I kidnapped her baby and killed her husband in front of her!’ You’d be right about that last part, Kellogg. Because I don’t want to shoot you in the ass--I wanna shoot you between your goddamn eyes!”

“Jeez, lady, getting a little carried away, are we?” MacCready muttered, putting his hands up in defense when Nora turned to glare at him. “Sorry, sorry.”

They approached a console room with the ceiling partially fallen, synths walking around the other end. Somehow, they hadn’t heard her, and MacCready took the chance to shoot two of them in the head.

Nora walked ahead, shooting at the third and final one. She glanced at the doors, and noticing a lack of terminals, sighed. “That seems like the easiest way out, but how do we reach Kellogg?”

“It’s a good thing there’s a hall, right here, that you missed,” MacCready said, smirking as Nora rolled her eyes and walked past him to go down the short set of stairs.

Kellogg sighed over the intercom, “Look, you’re pissed off. I get it. I do. But whatever you’re hoping to accomplish in here? It’s not going to go your way.”

“Yes it is, you dingy motherfucker,” she muttered, shooting each synth that came into view until her leg got hit by a laser, burning her skin through her jeans. She stumbled to the side, digging into her bag for a dose of Med-X and stabbing it into her leg before dumping the syringe and continuing to shoot. MacCready took careful shots, making sure to hit the head of each synth when he could.

“How many synths do you think we’ve killed, today?” Nora asked, walking down the hall and reloading her pistol once all the synths were dead. “I lost count at twenty.”

He stayed silent, huffing as they reached another narrow corridor lined with wires and pipes.

“You’ve got guts and determination, and that’s admirable. But you are in over your head in ways you can’t possibly comprehend.” Nora gasped as a laser narrowly missed her head, noticing the two synths at the end of the hall.

“For someone as formidable as Kellogg, he sure does have a lot of synths to keep him safe,” Nora remarked, shooting at the synths as MacCready grunted in agreement.

She reached another door, free hand clenching as Kellogg came over the intercom again. “It’s not too late. Stop. Turn around and leave. You have that option. Not a lot of people can say that.”

She walked into the office area, taking out one turret as MacCready took out the other two, and walked through the red door into the other room. She grabbed the purified water off the table and put them into her bag. “I can almost smell those fucking cigars.”

She took cautious steps towards the security door, stopping a foot away from it. “This is it, isn’t it?”

As if in response, Kellogg’s voice came over the intercom again, and he sighed. “Okay, you made it. I’m just up ahead. My synths are standing down. Let’s talk.”

The door opened, and Nora took slow steps over the threshold, taking deep breaths. She was up one step before she paused and turned to MacCready.

“MacCready, whatever happens, whether we come out alive or not, I wanted to…” She trailed off, letting out a deep sigh as she rubbed her hand down her face before looking at him, sorrow beginning to paint across her features. “I want to say ‘thank you’. You easily could have run off once I told you we were going after Kellogg. Once we’re done here, if we get out alive, you’ve got a room at the Dugout on me, and a round of drinks.”

MacCready simply nodded, unsure of what to say. She turned back around and headed farther up the steps, watching as the last door opened and the lights in the room went on, Kellogg walking out from behind some desks to talk to her. He had his hands up in the air as if in surrender before he brought them down to hang at his sides.

“And there she is. The most resilient woman in the Commonwealth.”

“Oh, fuck you, Kellogg.”

Kellogg gently shook his head. “Let him go. Your time’s done. Your son is exactly where he belongs.” He paused. “He’s home. In the Institute.”

Nora shook her head, hand gripping the handle of her pistol tighter. “So where is this  ‘Institute’, huh? How do I get there?”

Kellogg chuckled. “Haven’t you been paying attention? You don’t find the Institute. The Institute finds you. You open the closet, it’s just a closet. You never find the monster that hides inside it. Until it jumps out at you.” He paused for a moment, glancing at MacCready, who was standing just in front of the door they came through before looking back to Nora. “But I think we’ve been talking long enough, don’t you think?  We both know how this has to end. So… you ready?’

Nora gripped her pistol in both hands as she forced the tears to stay. “In a hundred years, when I finally die, I only hope I go to Hell so I can kill you all over again, you son of a bitch.”

Just as she finished her sentence, she quickly raised her pistol and fired into Kellogg’s head, killing him instantly. MacCready was picking off some of the synths, and so she took out the rest, grunting as another laser hit her, in the arm this time.

She pulled out a stimpack once the synths were all dead, and she stabbed it into her arm, feeling relief as the pain started to subside.

“You killed him,” MacCready said softly, looking at the limp body of the dead mercenary. He almost laughed in shock, “You _actually_ killed him, I can’t believe it!”

“Yeah,” Nora replied absentmindedly, noticing something metallic on the ground. She crouched down and picked it up, ignoring MacCready’s groan of disgust. “Look at all this tech. You were barely human.”

“That’s not a surprise.”

Nora nodded, picking up Kellogg’s pistol and the Stealth Boys strapped to his waist. “Let’s get out of here. I want to see if Nick will know what to do with this.”

She walked around the room, walking over to the terminal. “You can start asking questions now, MacCready. If you want.”

“Uh, alright.” He watched as she read something on the terminal, a scowl crossing her face before the doors opened. “First off, you never told me your name. So, name?”

“Nora. Nora Bellich.” She stretched her back before walking over to one of the open doors. “Next one.”

“Earlier, after we killed the yao guai, you said you were scared of bears _before_ the War. What did you mean, ‘before the War’?”

She turned to face MacCready as he strapped his rifle. She gripped the frame of the door, one foot over the threshold. Her expression became something between anguished and bleak. “I was alive before it. God, I remember the day the bombs fell.”

“How are you alive, then? I mean, I’ve heard you were a Vault dweller, but…”

“I was a Vault dweller, I guess. But we were put in these pods. They said it was for ‘depressurization’. But it wasn’t, it… they were cryogenic pods. I was frozen for 210 years. _Exactly-_ -I woke up on October 23rd.” Anxiety was taking over her voice and features, and she shook her head, moving her free hand to wipe stray tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry, can we--can we finish this later? It’s still… fresh.”

MacCready nodded, gesturing for her to go, and he followed behind her as she walked through the corridor to the elevator. “Sorry, boss, didn’t mean to make you all worked up.”

She shrugged, now devoid of emotion as she pushed her feelings to the side. “You couldn’t’ve known.”

“Can I just ask one more question for now? It’s not about… that.”

She nodded as she pressed the call button. “Shoot.”

“Do you normally swear as much as you did while we were hunting Kellogg?”

She chuckled, stepping into the elevator when the door opened. She moved to the corner so MacCready had enough space. “I don’t, no.”

He nodded, pressing his back to the side of the elevator as she moved to press one of the buttons to lead them back to the roof of the building. “I mean, I don’t care if you do, I was just curious.”

She simply nodded, silence falling between them. The elevator opened and she stepped onto the roof, gasping as a giant blimp-like thing and several vertibirds appeared in the sky. “Holy shit.”

“People of the Commonwealth, do not interfere. Our intentions are peaceful. We are the Brotherhood of Steel.”

She could hear MacCready sigh a little as he walked to stand beside her. “Son of a… It’s the goddamn Brotherhood of Steel. What the hell are they doing here?”

She shrugged, unaware of what the Brotherhood even was.

“But, oh man, did you see the size of that airship? Now _that’s_ how you make an entrance!”

Nora smiled a little at his remark. “Come on, we need to get to Diamond City.”

MacCready nodded, walking beside her as she headed down the rail to get off the roof.

* * *

 

“Come on, Nicky! I’m just asking for your opinion! It’d be a great quote!”

“She’s my _client_ , Piper. Why don’t you learn not to snoop on a woman’s private affairs?”

Nora walked over to the desk, and Piper smirked, taking notice of MacCready as he leaned against the door.

“Well, well, speak of the devil…”

Nick looked at Nora, shocked. “You’re back, and… not with your son. What happened?”

Nora gave a wry smile. “Kellogg didn’t have him. Shaun, he… He’s in the Institute.”

Piper raised an eyebrow. “The Institute? Hoo boy…”

Nick seemed to become more sullen. “I’m sorry, friend. Truly. That makes things... considerably more complicated.”

Piper nodded, pursing her lips. “He ain’t kidding. Heck, Nick’s a synth, and he doesn’t even know how to get in.”

Nick looked at Piper. “No synth does. Security protocols strip those memories out.”

Nora scoffed, “Oh, so Mister “Metal-For-Hands” doesn’t know how to get back to the factory?”

“No, I skipped that part part of the orientation film while they were pulling me apart and putting me back together again.” Nick sighed. “Look, the sad thing is, I have no idea.”

Piper nodded. “I’ve been investigating these creeps for over a year now. The Commonwealth’s boogeyman. Feared and hated by everyone.”

“True enough.”

“Sometimes they snatch people in the middle of the night. And sometimes they leave old synths behind to remind us that they’re out there. But, to this day, there’s one thing nobody really knows…”

“Where the Institute actually is. Or how to get in.”

Nora rolled her eyes. “Thanks for amping up the paranoia, guys. That _really_ helps.”

Piper ignored her. “There’s one person who had to know the way in and out.”

Nora’s eyes widened in realization. “Kellogg. He’s the one who handed them my son, isn’t he? A guy like him would have known.”

Nick seemed to agree, “Guy like him would’ve had a way in and out.” He looked between MacCready and Nora. “But, uh, am I safe to assume he’s not available for a chin wag?”

“We can talk to him. Feel like holding a seance?”

MacCready grinned a little, pushing off the door and coming to stand next to Nora. “Should’ve seen it, she shot him point-blank after saying she hopes she goes to Hell so she could kill him all over again.”

“Jesus, MacCready, do you really have to—”

“Honestly, I was kinda impressed, boss.”

Nick nodded, “So, we’re at a literal dead-end, huh?”

Piper crossed her arms. “So, a murderer and kidnapper gets his brains blown out by an avenging parent.” She sighed. “It’d be a great ending if we didn’t still have the Commonwealth’s biggest mystery to solve.”

“Doesn’t matter what he knew. I’d kill the motherfucker again in a heartbeat.” Nora suddenly went for her bag, fishing out the tech component. “But it doesn’t matter, because I think this might help. Hopefully. Otherwise, we really are screwed.”

Nick reached his hand out, and Nora placed it into his palm, watching as the synth examined it between his fingers. “Looks like we might not need the man after all.”

Piper chuckled. “Talkin’ crazy here, Nick. Got a fault in the ole’ subroutines?”

Nick looked at her in annoyance, then back to Nora, handing her the chip again. “Listen, there’s this place In Goodneighbor called the Memory Den. Relive the past moments in your mind clear as the day they happened.”

Nora nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been there. Wasn’t exactly pleasant.”

“I can imagine. But, if anyone could get a dead brain to sing, it’d be Doctor Amari.” He glanced at MacCready. “Looks like you’ve got someone with you, so I’ll meet you at the Memory Den if you want, unless you want me to come with you.”

Nora glanced at MacCready for a moment. “I’ll meet you there, Nick. I’ll leave in the morning, so expect me around noon.”

“You got it, Nora. See you there.”

She waved to Piper and Nick as she left, holding the door open for MacCready.

They walked to the Dugout in relative silence. Nora handed some caps to MacCready as they got to the door before walking in, and she went to Yefim as MacCready went to the bar.

“Hey, Yefim. Two rooms?”

Yefim looked up from the newspaper he was reading, a slight scowl on his face. “Sorry, we only have one room open. And there’s only one bed. But there is a couch, if that works.”

She looked back at MacCready, who was holding a couple beers and bringing them over to her. She gave him a small smile, which he returned, and she looked back to Yefim. “It works.”

“Ten caps. Room two, right through the door.”

She handed him the caps, gesturing for MacCready to come with her to the room. He walked in and she shut the door. “So, this is the only room they have open. But I did promise you a room, so it’s yours.”

He sat on the couch, holding a beer out to her. “Where’re you gonna sleep, then?”

She sat beside him on the couch and took the beer from him, taking a sip. “I can see if Piper’s fine with me staying at her place for the night.”

He sighed before taking a sip. “I don’t know. I mean, she might say no, and if she says yes, then you’d end up sleeping on the couch, probably.”

Nora nodded as she took another sip. “Yeah, you’re right. Might as well stay here.”

“There really wouldn’t be a difference, either way.”

“Again, you’re right.” She took another sip and stood up. “I’m gonna grab a few more bottles, and you can ask me more questions, if you want.”

He nodded, watching as she brought the strap of her rifle over her head and leaned it against the wall before leaving the room.

She came back a few minutes later, several bottles of beer in her hands, and knocked on the door so he could open it. When he did, she was surprised to see his duster and scarf off, as well as his boots and bandoliers. He moved to the side to let her walk in, a smirk playing on his lips as he noticed her trying to hide the fact she was staring, and closed the door behind her.

She placed the bottles on the coffee table, and put her bag on the floor next to the couch. She pulled off her own boots and socks, and stretched her foot, standing on her toes to relax the muscles before slipping her button-up off. She almost pulled off her tank top out of habit, but caught MacCready’s gaze as he stared at her hands, her fingers having slipped beneath the hem of her shirt.

“I mean, I’m not exactly going to complain if you _want_ to take it off, but you won’t really be impressing me.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, moving her hands from her shirt and instead putting her discarded clothes into her bag. “As if I would need to impress you.”

“Hey, you just might. I’ve yet to see you use the rifle you carry everywhere.” He sat back down on the couch, bringing his left arm to rest on the back of the couch, and coincidentally, behind her head.

She gave a tight smile as she drank her beer. “It’s more for intimidation than anything. Nate never taught me how to use a sniper rifle, just a handgun.”

“Nate?”

She kept her face stoic, trying to detach herself. “My husband.”

He took a sip as he nodded. “Ah.”

“I know you’re the one that’s supposed to ask the questions,” she started, “But why is your arm behind me?”

“I’m relaxing my arm. Is that a problem?”

The corner of her lip quirked up. “Not necessarily. But, before the Great War, that was a way of flirting.”

He moved his arm to his lap, and took a long sip of his beer. He muttered an apology, making her chuckle.

“MacCready, it’s not that big of a deal. I really don’t care. It’s not like you’re throwing yourself on me or something.”

She finished her bottle, looking at him when she felt him staring at her. He was, a playful smile on his face. “What if I _was_ throwing myself on you?”

She puckered her lips, playfully looking him over. She looked him in the eyes again, something sparkling in her eyes. “Can’t say I’d complain.”

He simply nodded as he finished his own beer. She looked at the time on her Pip-Boy, cursing under her breath. “What time is it?”

She sighed as she pulled a bottle opened out of her bag and opened another bottle. She handed it to him before opening one for herself. “Only seven. Today has been so long, I can’t believe how early it still is.”

“Well, what time do you want to leave tomorrow?”

“Goodneighbor’s only a couple hours away, without any combat. But there’s a good chance we’ll have to do some fighting on our way over. How about nine?”

He nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

She nodded and took a few sips of her beer before picking her bag up and pulling it into her lap.

“Time to split up the loot?”

Nora nodded, opening the pocket full of ammo and picking out a few boxes of ammo. “What does your rifle take?”

“.308 caliber.”

She nodded, handing him a couple boxes of .308 ammo. She glanced up at his hat as he put the boxes on the table near his beer. “Do you ever take that off?”

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. “I’m sorry?”

“Your hat. Does it ever come off?” She took another sip of her beer, watching as he leaned back, rolling his eyes up to see the brim of his hat.

“Not that often.”

She nodded, resting the bottle on her bag, tracing the lip of the bottle with her finger. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but is it because you were a Gunner?”

He sighed. “Yeah, it is.”

She hesitated, opening her mouth to say something but staying silent as she thought over the next question carefully. He looked at her as he grabbed his beer. He took a swig and rested it on the arm of the couch. She met his stare and pursed her lips.

“Do you have one of those tattoos on your forehead?”

He kept eye contact, not wanting to be the one that caved. He noticed her eyes darting, trying to take note of any change of body language. He debated whether to answer or not.

She spoke softly, concern etching on her face, “I crossed a line, didn’t I?”

“No, you didn’t.” _Not yet_ , he thought. She raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but reluctant to say anything. “I do have one of those tattoos.”

“Is that why you wear the hat? The tattoo?”

He nodded and looked away, glancing at the bed for a moment. “It is.”

“Oh.”

Silence fell between them, and she said nothing as he laid down on the bed a few minutes later, though it felt like an eternity.

He fell asleep soon after, and she had another two beers after he was asleep. She pulled out the holotape Nate recorded.

She grazed her fingers over it, as if it were fragile. She had yet to play it; she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle it.

She turned the volume low on her Pip-Boy, just enough so MacCready wouldn’t hear it, and took a deep breath.

She popped the holotape in, knowing she might not get another chance.

“ _Hi, honey!"_


End file.
